Soup Aisle
by delicateswa-n
Summary: Bella has some chores to get done on Saturday and she and Edward take a trip to the local supermarket. Takes place in the summer between Twilight and New Moon. Oneshot.


"So…what are our plans for today?"

It was a cloudy Saturday morning. Charlie had left hours ago to fish and probably wouldn't be back until late in the evening. So, essentially, Edward and I had the whole day to ourselves. Unfortunately, however, it had been a busy week at school and I _really_ needed to catch up on chores, as wasteful as it felt.

"That depends – do you find laundry or grocery shopping more exciting?" I asked, trying to feign some interest in the day's activities. It was hard, considering all the alternatives that suddenly came to the forefront of my mind as I watched Edward mull over my question, but if I didn't do laundry soon I was going to have to become a nudist.

"Hmmm…well, I don't believe I have ever gone grocery shopping with someone who actually intends to _eat_ the food…" he mused aloud.

"But you have gone?"

"We all take turns keeping the kitchen stocked."

"Ahh."

He walked over, wrapped his arms around me, and gently pressed his lips to my forehead.

"Would you do me the honor of showing me the proper way to buy groceries?" he asked as he pulled away, his eyes light with humor.

"Your ridiculous." I muttered.

"That does seem to be my specialty."

I rolled my eyes and turned away. "I should put a load in and then we'll go, okay?"

"Of course." He went to sit in the living room.

I was oddly nervous as I gathered the clothes from around the house and split them into loads. I wasn't quite sure why. It shouldn't be a big deal, but my nerves kept bothering me as I started the washer with the colds.

It didn't strike me until I was reentering the living room that at least some of my nerves came from the fact that I just couldn't _see_ Edward in the local supermarket. He just didn't fit. The same way it was hard for me to reconcile myself with the image of him lounging calmly in Charlie's house. The whole thing was dissonant. This world, my world, was too mundane for someone as brilliant and incredible as he was.

My face must have given something away, because he looked concerned when his eyes met mine. In a blur of speed too fast for my eyes to follow, he was by my side, his fingertips gently caressing my cheek. He didn't say anything as I leaned into him, breathing in his scent, trying desperately to remind myself that he was here, in my world, and that he loved me before I fell into despair.

Finally, I spoke.

"I'm sorry, we should get going." I turned to get my keys, but he caught me before I had even taken a step.

"Bella…" He seemed to be debating how to ask me what was wrong. "Please, don't apologize for that." Evidently, he'd decided to ask later. I wasn't naïve enough to believe I had escaped the question altogether.

I nodded and turned again. This time he let me go.

I snagged my keys, my purse, and my list off the counter and he followed me out to the truck. He must have been really worried, because he didn't even grumble about my trucks speed, or try to convince me he should drive. Meanwhile, I could just barely focus on driving, now doubly as nervous from the change of the day's mood. Thus, the drive passed silently.

The quiet had grown almost unbearable by the time I pulled into the crumbling parking lot. I cut the engine, but neither of us moved. _Enough._ The day may be filled with less than desirable to-do items, but it was still a day with Edward and I wouldn't let my insecurity ruin it. I pulled my purse into my lap, tucked my keys inside, and smiled.

"So…are you sure you want to do this? The cereal isle can get pretty intense, and the produce section is downright dangerous. It's not to late to back out." I joked.

He returned my smile, even though there was something in his eyes that told me he didn't quite buy my act. Still, he decided to play along.

"I think I can handle myself," he grinned.

We climbed out, and he took my hand as we walked through the automatic doors.

"Where too first, Miss Swan?"

I unsuccessfully tried to hold back a grin as I search through my list and replied.

"I need apples, so produce and then we need to head over to the baking aisle for flour."

"Lead the way." I pulled out a shopping cart and made my way through the bakery to the produce. Edward walked casually by my side. Sometimes he would wind his arm around my waist, sometimes he just rested a steady hand on mine as I pushed the cart, but his curious gaze never left my face.

As we wandered through the aisles, slowly filling the cart, he seemed to spend most of his time just watching me. He only broke his silent concentration to make the occasional face at some of the food, or too question the sanity of eating something as obviously unappetizing as cereal.

I was still struggling to keep my mood light. Every time I seemed to be convincing myself that I was overreacting and it was all nothing, I'd glance over and see him and everything would come crashing down. It just didn't make any sense. I was silently mulling over how surreal his presence in my life was when I noticed he was staring oddly up at the ceiling.

"That boring?"

He ignored my comment. "I know this song."

I listened briefly to the unfamiliar tune playing on the PA system.

He must have seen my confusion. "It was popular in the late 80s."

"Oh." I saw exactly what he meant to do. He had drawn my attention to the music that was currently playing, so his next move would be to try and persuade me to dance with him. But then his face abruptly changed.

"Bella – I'm sorry, I realize this probably isn't the right place or time to discuss this but I can't wait any longer – something's been bothering you all day, is there anything I can do?"

He caught me off guard, and I didn't really know what else to say to I told him the truth. "I just – this morning I was nervous but I didn't know why though, and then I was walking back out and I saw you there and it struck me how little sense any of this makes. You and me. I mean, I just…you…none of this adds up. You just seemed too good, too interesting and too wonderful for my world and by extension…"

"By extension you."

There were tears in my eyes now. "Yes, and now we are walking through here and it's just glaringly obvious –"

"Bella." His voice stopped me long enough to realize everything I had just told, things I _shouldn't _have told him.

"I'm sorry, I –"

"Bella." He stopped me a second time. My vision was blurry but I saw his face and it looked…heartbroken. I hoped it was just the tears.

"You honestly believe that." It was a statement of defeat. I wanted to apologize again because somehow I had screwed this all up. This was supposed to be easy and light-hearted and here I was crying in the soup aisle.

But I didn't get the chance. Before I could even move my lips, his arms were around me and my head was tucked against his chest.

"Bella, my beautiful, wonderful, foolish Bella. _Of course_, I don't belong in your world. You have always been, and will always be, too good for me. I could never deserve you. If your concern is that I will find your _world_ too boring, I can assure you that is not the case. If it is, however, that I will find _you_ uninteresting, I suppose only time can prove to you that I mean everything I've told you." I was really, truly crying now, as I shook my head, unable to believe him. It still didn't make sense.

"Shhhh…" He moved one arm so his hand could cradle my head. "Bella, love, look at me," he whispered as he lifted my chin.

"I—I'm so…" I tried to mumble an apology.

"It's alright, love. It's alright." I finally lifted my gaze to his and was shocked by the urgency of his expression. "Bella, I _need_ you to believe me. _I love you_. That's not going to change. Ever. Please, tell me what I can do to make you see that."

I failed to find my voice, so I just buried my face back into his chest.

He sighed. "How can I convince you how wrong you are? You are worried that you and your world aren't good enough for me. They are, but that's not the point. You, Bella, you are _my_ world. There's nothing about you that does _not_ interest me."

I wanted to tell him that I believed him, that I was sorry, that I loved him, but I still couldn't speak. I held him tighter and hoped that he would know how sorry I was. We stood there for some time, just holding onto each other. I'm not sure when, but at some point we started to sway back and forth. By the time I had recovered enough to speak, we were spinning in a small, slow circle.

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright, love. I'm sorry you feel that way." He was clearly still sad.

"No, really, I'm sorry. You have given me no reason to doubt you, and I let myself get caught up in a cycle of insecurity and I'm sorry because you deserve better. And I'm sorry because I shouldn't feel that way. I don't, really, most of the time. I'm not sure it was so overwhelming today."

He smiled, just a little bit. "We can discuss what I do and do not deserve another time." I started to object but he held up a hand. "That aside, you still really don't need to apologize. I'm glad to remind you how important you are to me. I just wish that you wouldn't believe something so clearly painful to you, particularly when it is so very untrue."

"Sorry."

He laughed at what he probably considered my absurdity. In truth, I just couldn't think of a way to respond to his words except for an apology. "I love you," he whispered.

"I know," I smiled now. "I love you, too."

An old woman who wanted to move past us interrupted his answering grin. We were, as it turned out, blocking the whole aisle in our slow dance. I chuckled as we moved to the side.

"What's so funny?" He was obviously puzzled by my amusement.

"You tricked me into dancing."

"I would hardly say tricked. And might I remind you that you did not object at any point."

"Still! Dancing. In a grocery store nonetheless." I shook my head, but I couldn't stop smiling. "Which reminds me…I do still have a few more things to pick up."

"I'll follow you."

We finished off the rest of the trip. It was actually rather enjoyable, when I wasn't drowning myself in worry. Edward made a show of acting disgusted with some of the food, particularly yogurt for some reason. After we checked out and loaded everything into the truck, he asked me if I was really okay, and I assured him that I was. It was true, too. I was surprisingly fine now. Everything seemed to have spilled out of me and I found it was nice, having him know my worries. Relaxing. It probably helped that he was very good at being reassuring.

As we pulled back into Charlie's drive, I was filled with emotion again. This time though, it wasn't anxiety that nearly overpowered me, but happiness.

"Thank you." I said as I pulled my key out.

"What for?"

"For being with me."

He laughed. "I promise, it has been my pleasure."

Despite his joking response, I was glad I said it. He didn't understand. I had to thank him. It was the only thing that felt right when I was this happy.


End file.
